Pay negotiations finally began on 18 April, but the employers said they don’t want to make an offer until they see what Local Authority employers offer. You can see the whole timeline here.
The Passenger Transport Forum (PTF) employers sometimes make an offer that differs from the one from Local Authority employers. Our terms and conditions differ in other ways too. For example, TfGM staff work longer hours than those at GMCA or councils.
It’s not as if a good pay deal for TfGM staff would have a big impact on the budgets of the local authorities. £3000 each for 1000 TfGM staff would cost about 0.6% of TfGM’s annual budget – never mind the budgets of the ten councils.
The unions at TfGM don’t accept that our pay rise should be delayed in this way and our campaign continues in pursuit of a good pay offer as soon as possible. Hundreds of TfGM staff have already signed UNISON’s petition. If you haven’t already, you can sign the petition here, and you can encourage your colleagues to sign it too.
The employers also indicated that they don’t intend to make an offer anywhere near our claim, or to offer any reduction in the working week. It is going to take pressure from staff to secure a decent pay offer this year. Anyone who isn’t already a member should join a union now.